Aren's ears rang from hearing the uncanny laugh of the man wearing Helmond City attire.
He didn't answer Aren's question, who was left dumbstruck. But that was what brought Aren back to reality.
'No. That's not it. What am I doing?!'
The pain ached not just in his legs but throughout his entire body — thankfully for him, he'd built a solid body over the years.
As he stood up, he looked at the man with contempt. He couldn't explain why, but he felt that his reaction was justified.
However, despite holding a grudge over the man, even Aren knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat him no matter the cause.
He'd fought all types of monsters, but when it came to humans or Aberrants, caution was always top priority for Aren.
'Yes…'
Having reaffirmed himself, he turned around and started running in the opposite direction.
Sprinting with all he could, he ran through the streets at high speed.
Slightly turning his head, he saw several black chains that divided into branches, catching up onto him rather than the man himself.
His eyes narrowed as he quickly thought of what to do next.
The chains behind him ran through concrete as if it were dirt, destroying everything in its way as it headed toward him.
Aren dodged rocks scattered like traps, barely keeping his balance.
One of the branches finally reached up to him. He lowered his entire body and allowed it to fly over his eyes, dragging himself along the street.
Using his hands, he built up momentum and rolled — moving around several chains at the same time.
He scrambled back to his feet just as the street split into four different paths.
'Perfect!'
Relief amidst chaos, he quickly ran up to the other side of the street to distract the chains.
What he didn't foresee — several chains were already in front of him on that side he approached.
They quickly latched themselves onto his neck. Then, countless more cold chains stuck themselves onto him from behind.
That's when he realized that every side — every direction, he was ultimately surrounded.
The chains suspended Aren high above the ground, tightening their grip with each passing moment as they wound themselves around him like a sinister embrace.
His face turned red as he let out a loud groan, unable to catch his breath.
The quiet man approached the struggling Aren silently, each step echoing like a time bomb.
He looked at him as he kept his face hidden under a brown hat from Helmond.
As Aren's eyes were intensely twitching, blood dripping out of his mouth, he looked down to see him one last time.
"Every path leads back to suffering and inevitability. That is the curse we share."
He suddenly spoke, his eyes glowing brown under the grey sky. His expression was guiltful, sorrowful.
The face that he kept hidden, the voice he held back for so long… It all finally hit Aren in a wave of realization before his last breath.
An instinctual chill ran up his back as if he were staring into a mirror that refused to reflect. His body understood something that his mind couldn't.
Unable to ponder over the thought any longer, he ran out of breath.
The man in front of him began to fade into nothing until eventually, everything turned black.
Aren slowly felt his senses and instincts coming back. A feeling he was too familiar with.
However, instead of being back in Caelum Leonis, he felt as if he were lying on the surface of the water.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a vast expanse of countless colorful stars, as if he were hovering in space itself.
He was lost in a daze, catching a glimpse of the stars.
Above the horizon of the Pale Verge, the sky often blocked its breathtaking beauty in a veil of clouds, leaving the magnificent vista hidden from view. He had wished multiple times to see them once more.
Not only that, despite lying in water, he didn't feel his clothes getting wet.
That was when a strong wind bit at him, blowing his consciousness back but forcing him to close his eyes.
The exhausted Aren turned his body upwards, only to see a benevolent dragon that dwarfed him in size.
"We meet again, old friend."
Aren slightly narrowed his eyes. Old friend? They only met not so long ago; his statement made no sense.
However, Horacis' voice sounded just as mystical, each word leaving a significant impact in the air.
"Aside from the simple miscalculations, have you seen what I am truly capable of?" Horacis spoke.
Aren kept his mouth shut. The memories of everything that led up to this moment flashed in his head.
He felt powerless, even though he had lived in a place where the strong prey on the weak.
He felt clueless, even though he was a Defiant and an Aberrant, who were said to be beings with knowledge no one else possessed.
Aren didn't know how to continue anymore. All he'd wanted was time, to think, relax, and have a moment with Faye and Kellen again.
Or, he didn't want to continue at all.
"Things may seem hopeless, but you ought not to give up. Memories are painful… Those were your own words. In that case, what happened before should be left in the past. Focus on your future."
Horacis spoke, its tone unusually calm.
Aren turned his head down, his feelings overwhelming him.
"My future? You think a person like me has a future? No. I was abandoned, dragged, cut, banished, and burned, yet I still have to bear this never-ending cycle of torture and misery! I have done nothing to deserve this!"
Horacis stayed quiet, letting Aren continue to say everything he'd been holding back.
"I might be an Aberrant, but that doesn't make me any less human. I had wished it had turned out differently, but I always have to be the one who's cursed."
The usual wind coming from the dragon blew at Aren, leading to Aren covering his face with both arms to block the wind.
It seemed as if Horacis was laughing, but no sound was able to be heard.
Horacis slowly tilted its neck until it was face-to-face with Aren.
"That is why you endure. Immortality is no gift. It is your burden. And you will carry it, whether you wish to or not."
"What?" Aren questioned, his expression concerned.
"When Aberrants gain supernatural powers, there is always a cost associated with them. This is known as a Blessing. Your friend Faye was blessed with the ability to devour the souls of anyone she looks at directly. That is why she covers."
Aren's eyes widened, hearing things even he hadn't known before. Faye had never told him the reason for the blindfold she always wears, but he never really wanted to question it anyway. Because of that, he now had a sense of guilt surfacing within him.
"You, however, are Blessed with eternal life."
"...Immortality?"
Horacis continued, "That means you're granted immunity to aging and to dying."
Despite all of this, Aren was still confused about the sudden revelation.
"I know. What are you trying to say?" Aren questioned once more.
"Your suffering right now would only be a tale to laugh about in the future."
Aren furrowed his brows, seeing the way Horacis dismissed all of the pain he'd gone through.
"Now, you must stand back up on your feet. I will pave the way for you until you are able to pave it yourself."
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it as Aren noticed a slight change in the manner of the dragon. During their first meeting, it wasn't so willing to help.
But, putting aside the suspicion, Aren wasn't planning on giving up regardless. He just needed a break, and he got what he needed.
The boy whom the Order of Helmond had banished at the age of seven rose back to his feet, staring into the eyes of the dragon in front of him.
"I still hold many questions. I won't go anywhere until you answer them."